Otis Library in Norwich will host a free virtual event, "Evening with an Author: An Intimate Conversation with Lidia Bastianich" at 7 p.m. May 7.

Bastianich is the author of 15 cookbooks and the Emmy Award-winning host of Public Television’s "Lidia’s Kitchen," which airs internationally. She is also a judge on "MasterChef Junior Italy." Lidia owns Felidia, Becco, and several other restaurants and is a partner in the acclaimed Eataly. Additionally, she has her own pasta and sauce line sold nationwide.

Joined by Norwich native Cecilia Vardar, Bastianich will discuss her book "My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food," which tells the story her family’s immigrant experience.

Vardar is a self-taught chef who has owned and operated a successful catering business and was a winner on the Food Network’s "Chopped."

To register for this event, visit www.otislibrarynorwich.org.